paddling in peckham

By Rebecca Parker10-07-2016

Peckham’s disused lido could soon get a new lease of life after local campaigners and the Thames Baths architects launched a crowdfunding campaign to turn the derelict south London lido into an Olympic-size pool and community attraction.

Local property developer Ben Lloyd-Ennals started a petition in 2014 calling on the council to reopen the lido. The petition managed to gain thousands of signatures and even included support for the local MP Harriet Harman.

“Peckham, like the rest of London, is changing so quickly right now,” says Lloyd-Ennals. “It’s essential we harness this great energy and prosperity to keep London fun and liveable, which is what the Peckham Lido is all about.”

The original Peckham Rye Lido was once a well loved 50 metre outdoor swimming pool, serving the swimmers and sunbathers of South East London for over 50 years before closing in 1987. A new campaign is hoping to raise £60,000 to help transform the lido into ‘Peckham Beach’ - an immersive culmination of activities including a roof-top sunbathing area, outdoor cinema, gym, yoga studio and function room, alongside wild-swimming – bringing a separate natural pool, tapping into the buried River Peck that flows beneath.